Goodnight Moon

After the Oatmeal box, I needed a break and was granted one with this next week's exercise!
We were to bring in several photos that had elements that we had been studying. That was pretty easy for me to choose as I enjoy washes and completing a sphere is always a good exercise- so a moon on a black background was my choice.

As I mentioned earlier, I needed a bit of a break from detail. I do not believe that realism or photorealism will be a form of painting that I will pursue; however, I certainly see the advantages of being able to execute a painting in this manner. So, anyway, back to the moon.

I enjoyed this little exercise and gave me a bit of satisfaction to have competed it easily and without too many complications.
Now, on to another piece- perhaps something a bit more complicated.

It is good.
Yes, it is all good.

See you tomorrow.
Janet
waves as she watches your cars speed by.

Watercolor - Lesson 3 - 3 Pigments

This is a Quaker Oatmeal Box for which I have great respect for the creator; however, after a week of painting it, I am not so sure how I feel about oatmeal anymore. Big Sigh.

This week our exercise was to paint this box on a green background using only 3 pigments. I am not at all satisfied with my piece and I felt that most of the time that we spent together was more of a battle than an exercise from which one is to receive enjoyment.

In class today, my piece received praise, I will not praise it here so let me critique now.

• First of all it is over worked and there is no "fresh skin" in this piece- that is the first and foremost error. Not knowing where you are going and trying to get there fast does not make a good painting.


• Second, even though the greens are not horrid, the values are not even and the washes are overworked again. If one can make a wash that can be executed the first time - oh what success. Twice is ok, but after that, it just doesn't get any better. Thinking back to the instruction of pottery - I can hear myself telling a student- if you can't get it up in 3 pulls then time to wedge more clay. I find that to be the same with how I see watercolor, get in and get out-let the light shine through the pigment.


• Third- Yes, there is a blush that was executed in the front of the piece but look closely and see how many times it was scrubbed clean in hopes of mastering "the blush."


• Fourth-Shall we discuss the shadows or just say better luck next time. The perspective from which the box was shot made for a strange shadow, but once again the way to solve this problem was to be in better control of my washes. There were 3 values in the shadow and there is much room for improvement there.


• Fifth- By the time, I was getting to the lettering and finishing this piece (this is the second trial that was to be placed in the trash, but I used the back to sample colors -number 3 never made it past the back washes when I decided to rescue this piece and just finish it) I was so tired of it that I completed those tasks to complete the piece. I kind of like the Quaker oats man looking like he just jumped out of a South Park show. Perhaps that is the only plus to the piece.

So, here is a watercolor that I am not proud of, but learned much. The push to complete the piece was part of that exercise and learning what not to do is moving me to find the place where my brush, my hand and heart can join to paint.

Here is the photo from which I was to paint.
See you next time.

Watercolor - Lesson 2- Using two pigments

Oranges and A Lemon

This week our lesson was about using 2 pigments - Aureolin and Alizeron Crimson with a touch of blue to make the shadows show themselves off.

The original still life was set up before us in the classroom and later we received a photo to help work with out subject over the week. I made a gray tone jpeg of the work to further help see where the shadows fell and where the highlights were to be. Working with values is very helpful and certainly makes the work much more interesting and 3 dimensional. It was now time to begin my first fruit still life.

I started out with a light yellow wash over my fruit and then moved on to the lemon. I felt that my washes were consistent and were partially successful, the fruit were marginal but appeared to be round and the shadows appeared to be coming from the right point but I over worked this piece. It appears that in the course of doing so, I am learning how to apply color, blend and certainly how to make mud so far; however, I do feel that I am progressing.

I continued to work from fruit to background and back and forth until I have become somewhat satisfied with the piece. I need to work harder or smarter to have my skin of my paper remain fresh and for the colors to remain transparent. Scrubbing out and relaying paint, may work for an exercise, but the fluidity of the hand and the intention of knowing where you are going is the same in all art forms. It keeps the piece alive, interesting and inviting. I will continue to work towards this process.

Here is the photo from which I was to work.

Relearning Watercolor - Value Studies

It appears that I enjoy the beginning of things, as here I am again at the beginning. I was enjoying the application of color onto paper and allowing the color to swirl in and out of each other doing what color does. At that point, I was unaware that I knew nothing about how colors react with one another or did so instinctively, but never gave it any thought.

At times, when lucky, I can command the backgrounds of my pieces and find a feeling of calm and peace within that structure. The images were created by using different colors and very few values. When I got to the foreground, nothing- no sense of direction, no understanding of what comes next.

Well, when texts do not satisfy that need of understanding one must find a human who can demonstrate these things so that they can become knowledge. In so doing, they become skills that naturally flow easily from mind to hand to brush to paper and enable the creator to further the story telling. The solution to this situation- a beginning class in watercolor at the Peninsula Fine Arts Museum under the instruction of Bill Holber.

We began with lesson one-usually a good starting point -learning flat and graduated washes- and then with a painting of the Great Smokey Mountains in Mist. A single color painting.

So, how do I begin - I believe it all begins with one color working with itself to speak through the visual image. Single color telling the story.

The eye must know how far that color must reach to give depth and clarity to the piece. It must be thought out - knowing where to begin a painting is often only found when you have seen the entire painting. Values within that color must represent the entire story when using a single pigment or enhance each part of any pigment. Well, of course if anyone is reading this already knows this, but I did not and finding it has given my self critic a bit of joy.

First of all, the painting must be sketched to produce a value study. After procrastinating this in detail, I finally stumbled my way to the paper and went to work. It was developing - yes I can see it now. Let me count the values - could it be as many as - 9 and then perhaps a touch of yellow for some green.( I do believe in my next piece, I will do myself the favor of not having to do this step but do a gray tone scale of the jpeg in photoshop and study that.)

"Oh my," she exclaimed as she thought, "Now where do I go from here?"

I attacked the problem as any good potter would do and set out to make my "paints" the proper color and amount for each of the paintings I wanted to attempt. I added so much of this and so much additional water and there were little math problems to help recreate each value. After admiring and trying to use this new procedure, it was rapidly abandoned for what now seems so natural. Get that first value down and then work them up.

It is fun to paint.
"Oh, my!" she exclaimed again. "I can see."

These are the 3 pieces that I presented for my value study.

Pondering-What is art? Beeteeno Cei3woo Hotii

At the present time, I am deeply involved in a piece called "Beeteeno Cei3woo Hotii" or translated "The Spirit Wagon" that just happens to be at a point where I could step back and say finished; however, I will see it through- even producing some sort of watercolor that will be publically viewed and a book of great Native American sayings with more Curtis photos and a foreward to introduce the piece and to discribe it's purpose.

Is this project art? Perhaps a construction with a reuniting of one's self with the past- a joining of my ideas with a great photographer Edward Curtis and his documentation of the Native American. Is this art or craft or both or is it a journey for me to release these spirits back to the earth by an individual who fears much of a great culture has vanished - to remind people of the spirit that came before us in this great land? It has become a journey using art and craft -the journey filling me with a purpose of who I am and where I fit in on this planet.

So what about the ability to use free domain art work without restrictions in current art pieces? This brings up the delimma as to whether the art work or piece can be considered art and if it is marketable. I find what I do to fall right in the middle of this. I have reformulated many out of date books and have tried to even sell a few; but so few of the public cares. It appears to me that the public prefers how Disney does it today. I would not call these reconstructions of mine "originial art" but an "art-craft" with the wisdom and creativity of the original part of the mind that works to be pushed forward and to further have our hands create what our minds sees. This is just another way to keep the handmade book alive and well. There are only so many blank journals one wishes to have.

I want to allow people to take part in the wonder of books, words and illustrations that have gone the way of the broken back book and the Velveteen Rabbit. I find wonder and amazement when one turns a page to find new illustrations and words that can dance in our minds and create original visions. This format must never be lost. The illustrations and words of books that are no longer in print have great lessons to be found. Our culture needs to keep these wonderful images alive-complex pictures that enable the mind to search and learn. There is nothing so wonderful as a story- a story that stays alive in our minds forever.

I have no connection with the Native American and when I came across this collection, I found myself drawn to them-thinking about their lives-knowing so little and so much mystery to be embraced that I began printing them out and placing them around my desk. I guess I was beginning to know them. I heard their spirits - their joy and wanted to say thank you. Some seemed so sad, that I too wept.

Beetenno Cei3woo Hotii uses Eward Curtis's photographed images that were downloaded in their original format and were then cleaned up and cropped before printing and formatting into the hanging pages of the book. Further images showing Native American Life were transferred to the leather on the wagon to further show the culture and life of these peoples. Without these photos there would be no wagon. There would be no smiles or eyes to free again into their spiritual world. The piece is composed of my work and Edward Curtis'; however, the point of the piece is totally mine - the need to release spirits that seem to have left this world not knowing that man does honor thier ways and how they developed and kept this land safe and wonderful before "the immigrant white man." The"white man" who from fear decided that he needed all of their land and that these people who were not like them should be marched with tears to no land for no man.

The wagon is my way of releasing these peoples again to their earth. To rejoice in all that they left for me-all that I do not know that was blow in the dust. All that I can find again by allowing wind to blow my hair, and leaves to touch my feet, water to wash my face and sun to warm my body. I say thanks and oh my what a road was chosen by men who should have learned to share some land.

So back to the idea is it art. It is being created with nothing being asked in return. It is a journey between made and maker. It is an over filling of something that needs to be released in another way- is it art? I am sure some will say no it is just craft and to that I will smile as my handy hands do craft well- that precision where things are put together to give purpose to the idea that came first. Is not the idea art? Nothing can be all art unless one can call the skill of the craft art as well. Is not all art partially craft for the painter must know how to work the brush and have skill in doing it.

Are answers even important?

Post Script:
It has been several weeks since I sat at this computer and asked myself this question about using free domain work in one's art. My completed piece was submitted for jurying in the show and was accepted to include also a full sheet watercolor called "Fire Spirit." The reception was last Friday night and my piece was well viewed and at the ceremony to annouce the awards- my piece was named second place in the show. The show awarded 6 prizes to include first, second, third and 3 honorable mentions chosen from over 70 works. It pleased me to win- it should; but, the journey was truly the joy of the piece and getting to know the Native Americans who were so sadly subjected to the "white man's ways." If it is truly a piece of art and made only for the journey at some point the piece should be given back to the earth-that gives us our lives. Perhaps the demise of the piece should be by burning or left for the earth to retake through its crumbling. I will have to wait on that part.

Peace be with all mankind-it is what we need-be patient and allow man to be. We must learn to live with one another-we do not need to like each other, but we do need to learn to live among one another without hate.